AUSTIN – The Smoke-Free Texas coalition exceeded 50,000 Facebook fans Monday, adding to the momentum for the state’s largest Facebook policy group. The group had more than 29,000 Facebook fans at the end of the last legislative session in June 2011.

As the coalition prepares for the start of the 83rd Texas legislative session, its broad base of supporters – including organizations, businesses, chambers of commerce, community leaders and everyday Texans – continues to grow significantly. In addition to more than 50,000 Facebook fans, more than 22,000 Texans, 3,500 Twitter followers and 240 organizations, business and community leaders support the effort to make all Texas workplaces smoke-free.

“This important milestone once again confirms the growing support from hundreds of thousands of Texans who are more united than ever in their support for a statewide smoke-free indoor workplace law,” said Melinda Little, co-chair of the Smoke-Free Texas coalition. “We are actively working to educate Texas lawmakers to ensure they understand the urgent need and strong support for this legislation among Texans.”

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Smoke-Free Texas is a broad coalition of organizations who believe all Texas employees have the right to breathe clean indoor air. Because science tells us that secondhand smoke kills, we support a statewide law to protect Texans from the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure in the workplace. Our members include the American Cancer Society, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, LIVESTRONG and the Texas Parent Teacher Association. On the web at www.smokefreetexas.org. Visit us on Facebook and Twitter at www.Facebook.com/SmokeFreeTexas and www.Twitter.com/SmokeFreeTexas.